God: masculine and feminine [Archive]

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completelycomplete

3rd February 2006, 07:01 PM

brotherChristian

3rd February 2006, 09:38 PM

001:027 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

By our earthly perceptions, God can be thought of as male and female in the sense that He is the image we were created in. God can't really be called masculine and feminine, though. God has a complete image, He is perfect in and of himself. It is we who must come together as male and female to create the likeness of Him. At least that is how the Spirit has led me to interpret the above scripture.

God Bless.

Advent Christian

4th February 2006, 12:20 AM

Hello all; :wave: Completelycomplete I understand your friend having trouble grasping this aspect of God’s nature; it is without a doubt one of the difficult aspects of His omnipotence. As brotherchristian stated earlier lets start by looking at Genesis 1:27. For the purpose of this post I am going to use the King James version with strong’s no.
Gen 1:27 So God430 created1254 (853) man120 in his own image,6754 in the image6754 of God430 created1254 he him; male2145 and female5347 created1254 he them.
Let’s look first at the first time man is inserted into this verse and we see that it derives from the Greek word
'âdâm
(aw-dawm')
From H119; ruddy, that is, a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.): - X another, + hypocrite, + common sort, X low, man (mean, of low degree), person.

While the words male and female derive from the following words respectively.
zâkâr
zaw-kawr'
From H2142; properly remembered, that is, a male (of man or animals, as being the most noteworthy sex): - X him, male, man (child, -kind).
neqêbâh
nek-ay-baw'
From H5344; female (from the sexual form): - female, woman.

So you could translate the verse to say So God created humans in His own image.
At this point in the verse there becomes a restatement of the creation but in a specific manner in that it states In His image he created male and female not one nor the otherbut both are in His image indicating the totality of God and the very fact that all attributes belong to God for in Him is perfection.
I guess what I am attempting to say is the way I see it, this is one of the reasons God ordained the covenant of marriage. The Almighty knew that alone man would not be complete due to the reason, man only held part of the attributes of God; man needed woman to be complete. It was not a man or a woman that held the image of God but the product of the union of them together.
Gen 2:22 and the rib, which Jehovah God had taken from the man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
Gen 2:23 And the man said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
Gen 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
I believe each; man and woman are created in the image of God but each with their own set of God’s attributes and each being different.
I hope this makes some kind of sense, it is late and I need to go to bed so I fear it may be hard to follow what I mean. If this is the case I apologize and pray your forgiveness; but I wanted to reply prior to heading off to bed. I pray this in some small way helps your friend Completlycomplete; and as always my love to all and May God Bless. :prayer:

Svt4Him

4th February 2006, 12:38 PM

Perhaps tell him God has neither a penis nor breasts. He has female characteristics, simular to the good qualities a woman brings to a family as well as the good qualities a male has, but God is neither male nor female, He is spirit.

brotherChristian

4th February 2006, 12:56 PM

...it was not a man or a woman that held the image of God but the product of the union of them together...

This is a much better description of what I was trying to say.:thumbsup:

Stinker

4th February 2006, 04:45 PM

The reason that the feminine side of the Godhead is not mentioned near as much as the masculine side in the scriptures, may be due to the fact that women were devalued so much back then in that part of the world. Also, maybe because with any feminine deity, the men viewed it with a sexually immoral mental lens. Orgies, drunkeness, etc.
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2 But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
like a weaned child with its mother,
like a weaned child is my soul within me. (Ps.132:2)
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Isaiah 49:14-15 (New International Version)

New International Version (http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/?action=getVersionInfo&vid=31) (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society (http://www.ibs.org/)

14 But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me,
the Lord has forgotten me."
15 "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget,
I will not forget you!

Isaiah 49:14-15 (New International Version)

New International Version (http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/?action=getVersionInfo&vid=31) (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society (http://www.ibs.org/)

13 As a mother comforts her child,
so will I comfort you;
and you will be comforted over Jerusalem." (Is.66:13)

Luke 13:34 (New International Version)

New International Version (http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/?action=getVersionInfo&vid=31) (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society (http://www.ibs.org/)

34"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!

20 Wisdom calls aloud in the street,
she raises her voice in the public squares; Proverbs 1:20

1 Corinthians 1:24 (New International Version)

New International Version (http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/?action=getVersionInfo&vid=31) (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society (http://www.ibs.org/)

24but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

aggie03

4th February 2006, 07:45 PM

Or it may be that people get tangled up too much in gender today? Does "created in the image of God" necessarily have anything to do with physical characteristics regarding sex? My answer is no.

I think that there is a very practical reason why there are men and women - that's where babies come from.

Stan53

4th February 2006, 11:57 PM

God is neither. He is spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. God is refered in the male gender but that is all.
Male and female created He them. The emphasis is "created."

revrobor

5th February 2006, 12:04 AM

I find attempting to discuss God's gender really pointless because God is Spirit and genderless and any attempt on our part to "humanize" Him is, at best, disrespectful.

Svt4Him

5th February 2006, 02:00 AM

I find attempting to discuss God's gender really pointless because God is Spirit and genderless and any attempt on our part to "humanize" Him is, at best, disrespectful.

Yet that is how God describes Himself to us so we can understand Him as best we can. Sorry, I find no disrespect there. God is described as a father, and He's described as a mother, so I think it really isn't pointless in trying to personalize God.

revrobor

5th February 2006, 04:43 AM

Yet that is how God describes Himself to us so we can understand Him as best we can. Sorry, I find no disrespect there. God is described as a father, and He's described as a mother, so I think it really isn't pointless in trying to personalize God.

Those terms were used so our finite minds could comprehend God NOT to identify what gender God is. Attempting to identify God using human terms is demeaning to the Creator.

vincejohn

5th February 2006, 08:45 AM

Look at your sins instead of working out the mysterious side of Abba.

Stan53

6th February 2006, 08:14 PM

VinceJohn wrote and I quote:"Look at your sins instead of working out the mysterious side of Abba."
Vince John is correct, but only in part. I think we are all prepared that we are sinners both by birth and by choice. I know I certainly am. I think we would also agree that we sin both because of our heritage as well as by choice. However, I would seek to respectfully disagree with Vince John in so much as my Bible tells me to seek first God and His kingdon. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God is the exact wording.
I really really really want to know all about God, as much as I can stuff in my head. I also want to know God intemately. I want to know that life changing experience continually.
Whilst I find the subject of God's gender a little puzzling I still think it is worth a glance and more importantly for people to settle the issue for themselves.
By the way, thank you Vince for your valuable contribution both to this discussion and others.

Svt4Him

7th February 2006, 01:22 AM

Those terms were used so our finite minds could comprehend God NOT to identify what gender God is. Attempting to identify God using human terms is demeaning to the Creator.

Yet God uses human terms to describe Himself to us. It's called anthropomorphisms, and if it's so demeaning, then wouldn't you be demeaning God by saying He's being demeaned? :doh:

ritawal

7th February 2006, 05:16 AM

I have a friend who is taking a bible study class. They were discussing the feminine side of God but he is not understanding it. Any ideas how I can explain it to him? Would like scriptures:amen:
completelycomplete
even though God created male and female, whose to say if he's either one or both for that matter? yes, He created us in his image. and yes he created male and female. but one thing we have to always keep in mind and that is, his ways are not our ways. there's examples in the bible that shows God as having a maleness and there's verses that show femaleness. but his ability to create is limitless and based on this the verse that comes to mind is eyes have not seen nor ears heard...this denotes to me that it'll blow our minds if we could even comprehend alittle of some of his vast creation.

knownbeforetime

7th February 2006, 08:44 AM

Look at your sins instead of working out the mysterious side of Abba.But my sins have been forgiven... They're as far as the east is from west. (Psalm 103:12) They've been thrown into the depths of the sea. (Micah 7:19)

Anyways, anthropomorphisms aren't all bad. Dogs would makes dog-isms. Cats would make cat-isms. Why? Because that's we understand the world. Humans understand the world as male and female. Therefore, we try to shove something unknown into one of those categories.

WAB

7th February 2006, 06:53 PM

jingwei

7th February 2006, 08:58 PM

Is a thunderstorm feminine? Is a sword feminine? Is fire feminine? Is an assault rifle feminine?
THen how can God be feminine?

Svt4Him

7th February 2006, 10:21 PM

Is a thunderstorm feminine? Is a sword feminine? Is fire feminine? Is an assault rifle feminine?
THen how can God be feminine?

I don't follow your logic here. God is not a thunderstorm, nor a sword, nor a fire, nor an assault rifle.

dalej42

8th February 2006, 12:37 AM

How about God as the Mother Eagle?

jingwei

8th February 2006, 06:19 PM

Svt4Him

8th February 2006, 10:27 PM

Revelations: God speaking as seven thunders
If you've seen the son you've seen the father. As far as I know Jesus was a man..
About not comparing God to earthly things and trying to understand him: I found 429 quotes with the word father in the new testament.

I speak like actors I like sometimes, that doesn't make me them.

If you've seen the son you've seen the father, doesn't make them the same. Otherwise you have to throw out the part where Jesus said God was Spirit. Jesus explained what He was saying, He wasn't saying the Father was Jesus.

As for the father quotes, again what does that prove? God is Spirit.

God is described as a nursing mother. How many fathers do you know are nursing mothers? God made man in His image, male and female He created them. God is described as having labour pains. Again how many males do you know have labour pains? You can post all 429 verses about God being a father, it takes nothing away from what I believe. Yet you will be unable to address even one of God's female characteristics with the belief that God is a man.

jingwei

9th February 2006, 07:23 PM

The Lord compared his protection over Israel as a hen covering its wings over its chicks. This is the ONLY passage close to "nursing mother" I found.

I didn't find GOd being in labor pain but I did find 8 passages in the bible saying people are ashsmed before God and they feel so much pain as if they are women in labor. There are NO passages describing God as a woman and If over 400 quotes cannot convince you then nothing will- just like you said.
YHWH is a god not a goddess!!! If you want to worship a Goddess worship Ishtar Asherah Athena. YHWH the only true God is not a goddess!

Svt4Him

10th February 2006, 03:42 AM

Again, God is Spirit, He is neither male nor female. Apart from Genesis where God clearly says He created man and woman in His image, not just man. Male and female He created them, in His image.

Isaiah 42:14 “For a long time I have kept silent, I have been quiet and held myself back. But now, like a woman in childbirth, I cry out, I gasp and pant. (15) I will lay waste the mountains and hills and dry up all their vegetation; I will turn rivers into islands and dry up the pools.

Deuteronomy 32:18 You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth.

Psalms 90:2 Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. (The Hebrew translated ‘you brought forth’ means primarily ‘to be in pangs with child,’ ‘to bear a child.’ )

Isaiah 66:13 As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you . . .

Isaiah 66:12 For thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; you shall be nursed, you shall be carried on her hip, and be trotted on her [God’s maternal] knees.

Matthew 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.

Psalms 36:7 How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.

Isaiah 49:15 Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!